Amazon is Leading the Way to Our Drone Overlords

Though it was initially met with curious skepticism at the end of 2013, Amazon Prime Air is going to take to the skies with the blessing of the Federal Aviation Administration.

That’s right — your dream of getting a small, fairly light package in less time than it takes to get pizza delivered is about to come true (though Domino’s is trying to make that happen, albeit in the UK).

That drone button won’t be listed in your delivery options just yet, though. The FAA’s issued an “experimental airworthiness certificate”, which means that Amazon’s quadcopter foray into the wild blue yonder won’t be to its customers just yet…or to any altitude higher than 400 feet.

Other conditions the federal agency placed on Amazon include flying during daylight hours. The drone (or “unmanned aircraft”) also has to be within visual sight of the operator, who must have a private pilot’s license and “current medical certification”.

Which raises the question — is the FAA’s subtle way of telling us that stuffed crust pizzas and drones don’t mix?